A stored value card is a card that represents some kind of value, typically financial value. For example, a stored value card might be redeemable at a particular store for a certain monetary value in merchandise or services. A stored value card might be simply represent an amount of cash, that can be used, for example, as a substitute for a credit or debit card in making any kind of purchase, or to pay off debt. A stored value card might be restricted to a particular set of products or services; for example, it might represent ten deluxe car washes at some gas station. A gift card is a particular kind of stored value card, one purchased by a donor as a gift for, e.g., a friend, relative, or employee.
A stored value card must typically be activated, before it can be used to spend a portion of its stored value. This requirement protects the card retailer by reducing both the likelihood and the consequences of theft while the cards are displayed in a store. The card is activated by an initial scanning at the point of sale at the time when it is purchased, and, at the same time, an initial amount is associated with the card.
The amount initially added gives the stored value card an initial value balance. The value represented by the card is reduced when the card is used to make a purchase. Additional value for the card can typically be purchased from the card issuer or a card seller. In the case of a gift card, the donee or the donor might be able to buy additional stored value.
The balance of value remaining on the stored value card may be stored as an account in an electronic recordkeeping system, or database. In this case, the card must contain a device that provides identifying information for the account, such as a bar or UPC code, a magnetic strip, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a smart chip, or other identifying device. In the case of a card with a smart chip or similar device, the stored value balance may be maintained within the card itself. When a stored value card is redeemed, for example to make a purchase, then the account balance is reduced by the purchase amount. At a retail establishment, the account balance is usually automatically adjusted at the point of sale by the action of scanning the card, or manually by salesperson data entry.
A digital picture frame is a device, which resembles an ordinary picture frame, but which is actually an electronic device that displays digital images, such as photographs, on a screen or monitor. Since what is displayed might be any kind of images (e.g., a sequence of computer-aided design drawings), the term “digital image frame” is more general. In keeping with common practice, however, we will treat the terms “digital picture frame” and “digital frame” as being synonymous with “digital image frame.”
The screen of a digital picture frame may employ any of the technologies used for digital displays, such as liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED), or cathode ray tube (CRT) technology. The digital picture frame provides internal storage for the images, typically in flash memory or on a hard drive. The frame will provide one or more communications methods for loading photographs into the storage, such as a USB port (standard, mini, or micro), or BLUETOOTH® or other wireless technology. The unit might also allow images to be offloaded to an external device using such communication system(s).
The frame will have a power source, such as a battery or AC power cord. If a battery is used, then a user may have access to the battery to allow the battery to be replaced. Alternatively, the battery might be rechargeable by connecting the unit to a charger, for example through a USB, mini-USB, or micro-USB port. The frame may have an on/off switch, or it be powered on by touch. For example, there might be pressure sensors on opposite sides of the unit, such that the unit is turned on or off while it is being held in a person's hand. Alternatively, when the unit is held, a circuit might be closed, allowing a weak electrical current to flow through the user's hand, thereby turning the device on. Once the device is turned on by such an automated means, there might be a delay before the device is turned off, to allow the device to be handed from one user to another without shutting down. The frame may shut itself down if no user contact with controls has occurred for some previously specified period. The frame may have an intermediate power state in which it is still powered on but the screen is dimmed or blank pending user interaction with a control.
The frame will be capable of running in one or more modes, such as a slide show mode or a static picture mode. A set of controls may be provided that allow the user to select a mode, and to otherwise specify desired behavior of the frame. Frames often provide the user with some or all of the following capabilities: (1) when in static picture mode, to go forward or backward one picture in the sequence of pictures; (2) to cycle through all or some subset of the pictures automatically; (3) when cycling, to set the time interval that each picture is displayed; (4) to specify how one picture in the sequence transitions into display of the next, for example, one picture fades out and the next fades in; (5) to delete pictures; (6) to arrange the pictures in a display order; and (7) to set the screen brightness. Other features may also be under user control. The controls may be physical controls, such as buttons, sliders, or dials. These controls may be located anywhere on the frame itself, or on a wired or wireless remote control unit, or both. Some or all controls may be part of a graphical user interface, such as a touch screen. The frame might use a human interface device such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a joystick to enter commands.
The functionality of the frame may be managed internally by a processor, under control of an operating system and application logic, the logic embodied in some combination of hardware and software instructions. The processor may have access to memory, and/or storage such as flash memory or a hard drive, including tangible storage that includes the software instructions. The processor may read software into memory to execute it. Any aspect of functionality of the frame might be managed by the logic. For example, the logic, upon a receipt of a previously specified signal, might cause a digital image, which is stored in image storage, to be displayed on the screen. This signal might be triggered by a user selection from a menu, or by a button press; or it might be triggered automatically by the logic itself, for example when cycling through a slide show or sequence of images.
Digital frames come in many sizes, and with a broad diversity in capabilities Small digital frames have been combined with key chains and key rings.